We have a baby on the way this spring, so decking out our nursery in organic style has been at the top of my to-do list! I've been looking high and low for organic fabrics to use in our nursery...check out a few of my favorite finds!

We have a baby on the way this spring, so decking out our nursery in organic style has been at the top of my to-do list! I’ve been looking high and low for organic fabrics to use in our nursery…check out a few of my favorite finds!

I want the fabric in my baby’s room to help promote the kind of world that I want him to live in, so I chose organic cotton. Unlike conventional cotton, organic cotton uses growing methods that are more in tune with the environment, and no Indian farmer has committed suicide over organic cotton.

It’s important to me that we use organic fabrics for my baby’s crib bedding, because it’s healthier for him, and it’s healthier for the planet and for workers. Conventional cotton gets marketed as a “natural” healthy fabric, but in reality it’s one of the most toxic crops out there. Much of the conventional cotton on the market today is genetically modified and it’s one of the most pesticide-intensive crops out there.

Conventional cotton is a bummer all around, but luckily there are lots of adorable organic options available! Sure, organic cotton often costs more per yard, but some of these options are very affordable. It’s also important to keep in mind that organic yardage is often wider than conventional cotton. I have no idea why this is, but it means you get more fabric per yard, so when you’re price-comparing, check the widths.

There are tons of designers making cute, organic cottons out there, but these five collections are my favorites right now:

1. Mod Basics by Birch Fabrics – If you’re looking for understated, fresh, and modern, this line is perfect! Birch Fabrics tend fo be mid-range in price, but the designs are totally worth it.

2. Happy Drawing, Too! by Cloud9 Fabrics – These strike me as more the traditional nursery fabric with their bold colors and cartoony designs. This is one of Cloud9’s “price sensitive collections,” so it’s on the less pricey end of the spectrum, too.

3. Safari Sweet by Clothworks – Monkeys, and lions, and elephants, oh my! This sweet collection is on the lower end price-wise, also.

4. The Sprout Collection by Yolo Colorhouse – Yolo is actually an eco-friendly paint company, and this cheery, earthy collection is very cute! Plus, you can easily find coordinating paint colors. Easy peasy! These fabrics are on the higher end of the price spectrum, but oh-so-cute.

5. Ready, Set, Go! by Ann Kelle for Robert Kaufman – Not all Robert Kaufman’s fabrics are organic, but he’s teamed up with select designers for the greenSTYLE lines. I’m loving these planes, trains, and automobiles designs by Ann Kelle. GreenSTYLE fabrics are generally pretty mid-range for organic fabric, too!

For my nursery, we chose a line that Birch Fabrics recently discontinued called Circa 52. It’s very cute and mod, and their space-themed designs are perfect for the sci-fi nursery that I want to create! You can still find this fabric on Etsy and other online outlets, but if you want to use it I’d recommend snatching it up now! Here’s a peek at our nursery fabrics, just in case you were curious:

Believe it or not, but organic fibers, like organic wool, are a $3.2 billion global industry, up 63% from $1.9 billion in 2007 to 2008. In the United States, the organic fabric market totaled $472 million in 2008, a jump of 65% from 2007.

And making wool organic is pretty simple. You force the sheep to put on Birkenstocks, listen to the Grateful Dead, and wear “Legalize It” t-shirts. No, kidding.

For wool to be recognized as “organic” in the U.S., it must come from animals fed only organic feed, and raised without any synthetic hormones or pesticides.

As for Vermont Organic Fiber's organic mattress pads, the company insists they'll help you sleep cozily, and sell for $45 to $250, depending on the size.

Believe it or not, but organic fibers, like organic wool, are a $3.2 billion global industry, up 63% from $1.9 billion in 2007 to 2008. In the United States, the organic fabric market totaled $472 million in 2008, a jump of 65% from 2007.

And making wool organic is pretty simple. You force the sheep to put on Birkenstocks, listen to the Grateful Dead, and wear “Legalize It” t-shirts. No, kidding.

For wool to be recognized as “organic” in the U.S., it must come from animals fed only organic feed, and raised without any synthetic hormones or pesticides.

As for Vermont Organic Fiber’s organic mattress pads, the company insists they’ll help you sleep cozily, and sell for $45 to $250, depending on the size.